Pádraic McCormack
Ceist:30 Mr. McCormack asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when farmers will be informed of the destocking requirements in areas designated as special areas of conservation. [22479/98]
Written Answers. - Special Areas of Conservation.
Special areas of conservation may be designated on either private land or on commonage land.
In relation to SACs which include commonage land, a framework plan must be drawn up for each commonage setting the stocking levels necessary for the environmentally optimum grazing of lands and to allow for the regeneration of vegetation. It is not possible to say in advance of the availability of each commonage framework plan what the level of destocking, if any, will be required.
It will take some time before framework plans will be available for all commonages. In the meantime, interim arrangements have been agreed between my Department and the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands to put a national commonage framework plan in place pending the completion of individual commonage framework plans. As I announced earlier this week under these interim arrangements a destocking of mountain ewes equivalent to 30 per cent of the quota held in 1998 will apply in all commonages in the following counties Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Mayo, Galway and Kerry, that is those counties identified as having overgrazed commonages. This means that farmers in these areas either already in REPS or who join now can avail of the higher rates of compensation of £80 per 100 acres with additional payments for the next 200 acres. This compares to £62 per acre per 100 acres for these areas in REPS. I have also announced additional aid for farmers in these areas who are subject to the general reduction of 30 per cent in sheep numbers at £10 per head on their revised quota.
For SACs on private lands the agri-environmental plan must conform to the conservation and farming conditions already agreed for the type of SAC involved. Under these conditions there may be a requirement in some SACs for a certain level of destocking to take place. This can only be determined when the plan is drawn up. The new REPS compensation rates will also apply in these areas.